Improved consumption and health

This Theme focuses on consumers’ dietary needs, their food preferences and practices, and how this links to public health and food supply, affordability and distribution.

We examine both individual behaviour and social practices, along with the barriers to - and incentives of – changes to behaviour and practice. We explore the cognitive, psychological and situational factors that drive individual, collective and institutional consumption decisions, and the wider social forces shaping behaviours.

Ultimately, innovations to promote sustainable nutrition (technological or societal) will fail unless our understanding of the practice among all stakeholders changes. We are working to combine nutrition, health, behavioural and social sciences to develop innovations that meet people’s dietary needs and promote a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.

This Theme is led by Professor Clare Mills in Manchester. Clare has recently set up a new MSc in Chemical Food Safety and Integrity designed to allow students to undergo training in food chemical safety, quality and management and to help prepare them for a range of careers in the food industry or in research.

Clare has also been the recipient of a Strategic Pump Priming grant from central N8 funds. For more information follow the link below: